Postcards From the Lake: Indoors and Out!

So, what do you plan when a six and a seven-year-old (along with their beautiful mom) descend on you? Well, when you're at the lake, there are no shortage of options! And no double-trouble!

Molly brought the boys up for a couple of days and fortunately, the sun was shining and the weather was warm! On the first afternoon, Rick took each of them out in the kayaks. It was their second time and the journeys weren't far!

Postcards From the Lake: Elking

Every summer when I was a kid, on a lovely evening, my mom and dad, her two sisters and their husbands, and my three cousins would pile into the old station wagon and go "elking" in Michigan's north. This activity found the six adults on the bench seats in the front and back and the four of us kids in the rear end of the car. It was close.

Postcards from the Lake: When Salesmen Blow It

Rick and I had an interesting experience during one of our summer lake visits. It was a bit of a gloomy day -- one of those "will it rain or will it shine" sorts of days. Since we had to go the store anyway, we went into town and wandered around.

Our first (and most delightful) discovery was seeing a series of reproduction paintings that the Detroit Institute of Arts was placing in smaller communities around the state.

This is an outreach effort to both encourage people to visit the beautiful DIA (Here's another post about that spot HERE) and to enjoy some of it's remarkable collection if a visit isn't an option. This one was in front of the courthouse.

 This was another. It was rather lovely and the woman quite beautiful.

There was much detail in her face...

... but the toes could have used a little work!

The mattress on our bed is an old one, brought up from home. If I told you the original year it was purchased, you'd think me awful for not replacing it sooner. Let's just say mom was still alive -- and she died in 1977. Ultimately, it became cottage-worthy because, well, no one was sleeping on it at home!

So, as we were wandering we decided to check out a furniture store on Main Street called "Great Rooms." Looking at mattresses wasn't our reason for going there -- we were killing time till the weather decided what it would do. But as long as we were there...

The salesman we met with first, Doug, was terrific. He was just the right kind of guy for this. Friendly, knowledgeable, well dressed but not overdressed, well spoken with excellent grammar. He was funny but not inappropriately so, smart and well informed, not at all pushy. We probably tried out every mattress and he was patient (OK, it wasn't a busy day, but still...), not pushing a pricier version over a less expensive one but making sure we knew the differences. He was 64 and this was part time for him -- otherwise he worked in insurance sales.

In short, everything you could want in a sales guy.

I even told him that I really appreciated his style and way of working with us, how good he was and I was really impressed. I asked if he worked on commission (he didn't) and praised him well. We were "this close" to getting one of the mattresses but were going to talk it out.

Now, that cottage is about one mile, no more than two, from the city limits. We asked about delivery and there was a $20 difference in the delivery fee once you were out of the limits. We asked if that could be adjusted and he said he'd have to ask his boss, who was nearby.

Well, the boss came in and was quite possibly the worst asset this business could have. Not only was he unyielding on that, but it was how it was stated that was particularly jarring. He had no sense of grammar at all -- double negatives all over the place. "Don't got no idea" is not good grammar. He was wearing a printed blue t-shirt cut off to be sleeveless and jeans and looked as sloppy as all get out. And this guy was the boss?

Rick asked about how long they expected the mattress to last (remember, we've been on the current one for a long time. This one was to be just for the cottage -- and last year I spent a record 55 nights there. So, we're not talking a lot of use.)

And the guy says. Ten years. That's how long the warranty is and that's what it will last."

Now, that was dumb. Everyone knows the warranty lasts way less than the life span of anything -- electronics, car, refrigerator. There are so many better ways to state it -- "Well, the warranty is ten years, but we all know mattresses last much longer, especially if you aren't using it daily." Doesn't commit but answers nicely.

He was essentially the stereotypical bad car salesman (apologies to car salesmen, not all are this way!)

We couldn't get out of there fast enough. Essentially, this guy, through demeanor and not even considering reducing the delivery fee -- basically blowing it off and not politely -- cost his store a sale. A big sale, at least $700, maybe more, because mattresses are not inexpensive. All for $20.

I feel like finding Doug  and taking him out for coffee and saying "you are so much better than that place you work. You should find a new job that is worthy of you."

A lot of us have done sales or maybe customer service. Every client is different. But here was a case of where "the customer is always right" had most likely never been heard.

I'm glad Doug wasn't on commission.

At least this one doesn't care about the mattress!

Linking to:   Share Your Cup   

Postcards from the Lake: A Pretty Little Garden

I've been going to Gaylord, MI and Otsego Lake since I was a baby. In fact, my mom went there when she was a baby. You'd think I'd know every nook and cranny. But things change. (Boy, do they change -- but that's for another time!) I remember when downtown Gaylord looked like this.

Now it looks like an Alpine Village. I don't know if that's progress or not but it is a change.

And sometimes the changes are good ones. I have discovered the Demonstration Garden.

I had no idea this was there until I saw a sign for an art fair there. (I'm not sure I'd call it an art show, personally. It was about four booths, I think -- unless I missed something, but I looked pretty hard.). But the garden was delightful.

There is a maze (impossible to photograph unless you are above it!) and all sorts of pretty flowers.

I liked the hummingbird garden with a variety of flowers to attract plants.

Quite possibly, my favorite was the children's garden with their ABCs...

...colorful crayon markers...

...and a fun caterpillar.

This sun dial lets you stand on the month, put your arms straight up and the small stones in a semi-circle above it tell you the time. It works!

And I thought this was fun -- a washboard and bin to make some noise!

The raised beds and herbs were wonderful. There was even a grassy ground cover of thyme and yes, it smelled wonderful!

It's in a countryside area (well, not really, just seems that way) so you have some wonderful views.

I can't resist a trellis!

All the plants are well marked and the paths easy to walk on. There is also a greenhouse.

In all, a nice find! And it's fun to have something new to discover.

Who knows, maybe I'll take my watercolors there! Now that would be a first!

Leaf Porn

Leaf porn.

Really, what else is there to say?

I join with all the other bloggers who have been posting the most glorious color in sharing some of the splendor from Otsego Lake and northern Michigan.

This was our last trip up north as we closed the cottage for the winter. And it couldn't have been more lovely, with temps hitting 70!

We did a little meandering while construction people were working on the house, heading north on Old US 27 with a stop in Mackinaw City. We enjoyed looking across Lake Huron toward Mackinac Island.

And toward the Mighty Mack!

 

Rick tried to hold the Mackinac bridge in his hand but the photographer didn't get it right!

There were a few lovely "drive-by shootings."

Sometimes the sky looked a little threatening, yet it added a completely different dimension to the color.



One of my favorite spots was shooting at Michawe, a golf course a few miles away. I loved their bridge -- and the stark contrast of the white birches against the water and the color.


The lake was impossibly blue making the color all the more vibrant.

And everywhere you looked it was orange and gold.

              

Our tree life has been odd this year. Usually by the latter part of October the color has peaked and the leaves are as much on the ground as the trees.

This year is different. There is still plenty of green -- not to mention the brilliant colors.

It almost looks like a bargello pattern!

As for me, I'm clinging to every bright moment, holding it in my heart through what will probably be a long, white winter.

They always are...

Grab that sunny day! If you live in our part of the world, they are dwindling down to a precious few!